15 Sober Activities for Yourself or With Friends

15 Sober Activities for Yourself or With Friends

Did you know that more than 14 million adults in the United States have an alcohol use disorder? Approximately 9 million of them are men while about 5.1 million are women.

Although it can be fun to share one or two drinks with friends from time to time, too much alcohol can quickly ruin relationships, careers, and even entire lives. But it doesn't have to be that way if you don't want it to be, especially if you learn a few sober activities that'll help you stay on track.

This is where the following article helps—it'll present you with multiple sober activities that can infuse your life with joy and passion. This article is split between activities you can do alone and ones you can do with your friends. Keep reading to find out more.

Top Sober Activities You Can Do on Your Own

Many people complain that remaining sober is a burden; it's like sobriety suddenly takes out all the excitement and fun from life. However, you can reframe your thinking and use your sobriety as an opportunity to explore yourself and learn something new. Try the following activities and you'll find it much easier to remain sober in the future.

1. Get a Part-Time Job

Don't do this for the money. Instead, use it to keep yourself busy and connected with people.

When alcoholics have little to no activity, they tend to fall back on bad habits. If you don’t keep yourself busy, you'll eventually feel more inclined to go for a drink.

On the other hand, a part-time job will ensure that your energy is spent with a purpose and you also get the chance to meet more people. Also, your part-time job doesn't have to be permanent. Take advantage of it for a few months until you get over your alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

2. Learn to Play an Instrument

This is another excellent activity you can do in your spare time. Maybe you always wanted to play the guitar and feel like a rock-star. Maybe you always wanted to be a drummer but didn't find time to pursue your dream.

Now would be a good moment to invest in an affordable musical instrument and play it in your spare time. Make it a habit to play for around an hour every day and you'll be golden.

It's so important to replace the alcohol with something positive. At Quit Drinking Bootcamp I make this point over and over again.

3. Start Jogging

Engaging in physical exercise can instantly boost your confidence and make you cope with withdrawal symptoms easier. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym if you don’t want to. Instead, find time to run for 20 minutes 3 times a week and you'll reap numerous health benefits.

Not only will your cardiovascular system improve, but your brain will also release endorphins, which are the hormones of happiness and well-being. You're basically retraining your brain to respond positively to different types of stimuli, overriding the destructive effects of alcohol.

4. Go to a Yoga Class

If you don’t feel like going for a jog, you might want to try doing yoga. This activity has numerous health benefits, including the ability to detoxify your body. Especially if you have abused alcohol in the past, yoga will help you flush out some of the toxins accumulated in your liver quicker.

Yoga is also beneficial for your state of mind and it's exactly what you need during the vulnerable period after alcohol withdrawal. This therapeutic activity will help you cope with emotions easier, improve your flexibility, and maybe allow you to make some new friends.

5. Read Personal Development Books

These books don’t necessarily have to be aimed at how to cope with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. They can be varied and treat different types of subjects such as improving your finances, self-esteem, time management, health, business, you name it.

When you fill your mind with the stories of other people who managed to do something with their lives, you'll feel inspired to stay on the right track and avoid alcohol for good.

You don’t have to go overboard by reading these types of books. You can start with 15 minutes a day and keep up this good habit for a month. Then you can comfortably increase to 25 minutes or even half an hour, depending on your preferences.

6. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter

Especially if you love dogs and cats, this activity will probably be one of your favorites. In each major city, there are numerous places where stray cats and dogs are taken care of, and most of these places are looking for volunteers. You can help by feeding the lovely cats or by walking your canine friends.

Spending a few hours in an animal shelter each week will have therapeutic benefits for you. This activity will keep you busy; you get the chance to care for the animals and find a new positive purpose in life.

7. Cook More Often (Or Learn How to Do It)

Cooking is the favorite activity of many people. Now that you need to refrain from alcoholic drinks, you can spend more time preparing delicious foods.

Even if you have some experience in the kitchen, allow yourself to learn new recipes. Watch YouTube videos and find out how to prepare different types of meals with the utensils you have in your kitchen.

This habit doesn't only keep you busy, but you also get the chance to enjoy healthier foods and save some money by not eating out all the time. Also, the moment your body gets accustomed to new food flavors and tastes, the fewer cravings for alcohol you'll experience.

8. Help Others With Their Chores

Okay, this might not be the most entertaining activity out there, but it'll still keep you busy and away from alcohol. Ask your family members and friends if they need help with different types of activities such as cleaning up, moving furniture items, taking out the trash, etc.

Chances are that your mother has always postponed cleaning up the basement. Now is the perfect time to intervene and lend a helping hand. Your loved ones won't forget your nice gesture and maybe they'll respond in kind in the future.

9. Learn a Foreign Language

This is a wonderful activity that might become profitable in the long run. There's never a bad time to expand your knowledge and learn something new, especially when it comes to languages.

Maybe you always wanted to improve your Spanish skills or learn the Japanese alphabet. How about Italian or Russian? These are all good options for you to play with.

Ideally, you might want to learn a language spoken by millions of people worldwide. During your vacations, you can visit those countries and have more confidence knowing that you can understand the language.

10. Start Meditating

Meditation is also beneficial for everyone, not only for people who are looking for things to do while sober. Although it might be difficult at first to try to pay close attention to your breathing and train of thoughts, meditation can help you remain sober for the rest of your life, if necessary.

Studies show that meditation can also prolong your lifespan, so you have yet another reason to try that as soon as possible.

If you're absolutely new to this type of habit, you might want to start with mindfulness meditation. Go for 5-10 minutes every day and see how you feel.

Ideally, you should meditate in a quiet place, away from distractions such as your laptop or mobile phone. Make sure that you stay in an upright position and don't cross your arms or legs because this stops the flow of energy through your body.

Top Sober Activities for Couples or Groups of Friends

There are many things you can do on your own to stay sober, but there are also a lot of sober things to do when you're with friends or your significant other. Check out the following activities and put them into practice in the near future.

1. Go for a Walk in the Park

Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but a simple walk in the middle of nature. This type of activity can recharge your spiritual batteries, help you sleep better, and improve your cardiovascular system. Make a habit to walk with someone in the park for at least 30 minutes every day and you'll find it much easier to remain sober afterward.

If you start to become bored after walking the same routes over and over again, try to diversify your itinerary. Visit other natural parks or walk around town during the evening when there are fewer vehicles on the streets.

2. Go Ice Skating

This is the type of activity that you can do year-round since most large commercial centers feature an ice skating arena. Most people love the idea of skating freely and gracefully with their friends or relatives. You can bring your significant other with you and skate for one hour a day, reaping the therapeutic purposes of this activity.

If you don't know how to skate, then maybe now is a good time to learn.

3. Play Board and Card Games While Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Many people spend time playing social games while having a sip of whiskey or wine. This is all nice and beautiful, but who says that you can't play your favorite board games if you don't drink alcohol? In fact, that's exactly what you should do and see how much fun you can have by drinking tea, milk, and orange juice.

Ideally, you'd need a few supportive friends who are willing to refrain from alcohol as well while playing board games. You can invite them over and share your preferred non-alcoholic beverages with them. Spending a few hours with your friends playing board games is a great pastime and it'll encourage you to remain sober for as long as you wish.

4. Rent a Karaoke Machine

You probably see where this is going, right? A karaoke machine can be bought or rented at affordable prices these days. You can use it with your friends to have fun for the entire Saturday evening while sipping the aforementioned non-alcoholic beverages.

Even better—you can use your own tracks and favorite tunes to play so you can have a personalized karaoke experience.

5. Travel Around the Country

If you have a few free days and a small budget to spend, you might also want to visit another city with your friends. Whether you go by car or train, your little escapade provides a great way to relieve stress, meet new people, see new things, and have new experiences.

For example, you can arrange to stay for a few nights in a hotel and visit the most important tourist attractions in that particular town. These can include museums, a few fancy restaurants, nightclubs, maybe a planetarium or the city circus.

Make sure you snap photos and record videos so you can share them with your family members and friends when you get back home. If you manage to travel abroad and visit a place you've loved since childhood, that's even better.

Now You Have Tons of Sober Activities to Try in the Upcoming Months

As you can see, there are a lot of sober activities you can choose from if you want to cope better with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The first thing you need to do now is to pick one and get to work immediately.

Plan your activity and see if you can transform it into a positive habit. This is the first step to your recovery and long-term sobriety.

Obviously, you'll encounter a lot of obstacles and setbacks along the way. Make sure that you involve your loved ones and ask them to support you in this endeavor. They'll probably be more than happy to do it.

By the way, if you struggle with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and you want to get rid of alcohol cravings, make sure that you check out our free webinar. This webinar has helped more than 200,000 people achieve sobriety and stay on the right track, so it'll definitely be useful for you as well.

One of the biggest advantages of our webinar is that it helps you get rid of your alcohol habits without having to rely on willpower or dangerous medication, so don't hesitate to give it a try.